Breath-controlled apparatus



Sept. 3, 1957 c. G. TROELLER ETAL BREATH-CONTROLLED APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 18, 1955 ed e, Z m ma? 0 M11/M VJ www ,mw mun Mg. am. HM. sf.. mw hau/k com wd Sept 3, -1957 c. G. TROELLER ET Ax. 2,805,379

BREATH-CONTROLLED APPARATUS Y TEL @ws/wv sfr iield, Paul H. Eckstein, Park Ridge, and F- G. Nicolaus, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Raymond Moloney, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 18, 1953, Serial No. 374,922

Claims. (Cl. S18-466) This invention pertains to remote control devices, and has as its principal object the provision of a 'control unit and associated apparatus adapted to be `actuated by light pulses of air such as could be produced by expelling the breath abruptly in a short pui `of only moderate force, the control unit for this reason being sometimes referred to herein as a breath control.

A more ldetailed object is the provision of a breath control unit adapted to be actuated by invalids and like incapacitated persons hav-ing no use of the hands or digital members, the control unit consisting of a balanced vane and switch means actuated thereby for controlling a desired instrumentality through the agency of associated relay means.

A further object is the provision of a breath-controlled radio apparatus, such as a television set, for invalids, including especially victims of poliomyelitis, of the variety commonly referred to as polio, who are confined in apparatus such as the so-called iron lung and have no use `of the hands or digital members.

A still more detailed object is the provision of a breathcontrolled television receiver including a pair of breathunits including breath-actuated switches and means for positioning the same adjacent the mouth of the patient, together with relay means actuated thereby, and circuit means controlled by one of the breath units for modifying the audio frequency `operation of the set, and automatic channel `or station-selecting mechanism controlled by the Aother breath unit, so that the patient can select a desired program and cut down the audio volume by merely directing short puffs of breath into one or 'another of the breath control units.

Another detailed object is the provision of a breathsensitive control device -comprising a body having a relatively long air passage and a vane system pivoted and dynamically balanced to oscillate between yopposite entrance and discharge orifices in the passage responsive to pulses of air directed at the vane, and a switch device cooperating with the vane and having a light spring bias which is nevertheless suiicient to return the vane system to a normal position, the long air passage serving to permit a very substantial degree of displacement of the vane without undue dropping of the pulse pressure which displaces it.

Still another detailed object is the provision of a remote control means sensitive to air pulses and including at least two selectively operable pulse-actuated control switches adapted to respond to puffs lof breath, relay means operably controlled by the pulse switches, a start-stop motordriven radio tuning device controlled by one part of the relay means to start and stop and sequentially change tne tuning from one frequency to another, and a radio loud speaker control actuated 'by another part of the relay means, together with a carry-over motor control device which may be set to cause the tuning motor not to stop at a normally possible position in the sequential start-stop or step-by-step operation thereof, but instead to skip Patented Sept. 3, 1957 such stop and carry over to the next succeeding stopping position.

Additional aspects of novelty and utility relate to details of the embodiments of the disclosure described hereinafter in view of the annexed drawings in which:

Fig l is a fragmentary pictorial representation in perspective showing the breath-control unit installed for a polio patient;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional detail through one of the breath-operated switches;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the breath-control unit shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of the vane system;

Fig. 5 is a schematic circuit diagram of the breathcontrol applied to a television receiver.

Fig. l depicts the adaptation of the new breath-control device to the operation of a television receiver 10, the screen 11 of which is adapted to be viewed in a mirror l2 by a substantially helpless patient lodged in a so-called iron lung 13, with the breath-control unit 14 positioned Iclosely adjacent the patients mouth by means of a gooseneck arm lo on a standard 17.

The device 14 (shown in Fig. l) is a dual control unit comprising a rectangular housing 14A having two mouthpieces 15 in the front wall thereof and situated closely adjacent each other so that the patient can direct the breath into either with lonly the slightest change of position of the head.

in Fig. 2 the construction of one of the individual breath-operated control units is shown partly in section, from which it will appear that the mouthpiece 15 is threadedly mounted in a metal body 18 of aluminum or the like, with an opening 19 communicating into an arcuately elongated vane passage 20 which wholly traverses the body 18 so as to open into the side thereof opposite the mouthpiece.

Movable freely in the passage 20 is a vane 21 attached to the upper cross bar 22 of a yoke-shaped, odset lever arm 23 pivotally mounted at 24 on the body casting (as in Fig. 3), and provided at its lower extremity with a counterweight 25.

The yoke shape of the lever and -disposition of the counterweight arm 23 are depicted in Fig. 4.

At an end of one of the arms of yoke 23 is a small cam formation 26 for actuating the ultimate control agency which, in the illustrative embodiment is a leaf-spring switch 27, including a pair of normally open spring contacts 27A, 27B adapted for connection in a control circuit in a manner to be described.

The operation of the breati -sensitive mechanism is such that if a slight puff of breath is directed into the mouthpiece 15 of the device of Fig. 2, the vane 21 will be displaced inwardly in the arcuate cavity 20 and can move actually to the extreme position shown in Fig. 3, to pivot the yoke arm 23 and cause the cam formation 26 to bear down upon contact spring 27A to close with the companion contact 27B, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The normal bias or tension in the contact means of the switch 27 is relatively light, yet suiiiciently strong to return the vane to normal position positively in all positions of orientation of the control unit.

The clearances between the marginal edges of the vane 21 and the arcuate cavity 20 in which it travels, are kept to a work-able minimum, and it will be observed as an important feature of the improved breath sensitive device that the cavity 20 is of a substantial length from the entrance opening or oritice thereof, near the mouthpiece, to the exit opening thereof at the opposite end of the passage, the purpose of which is to permit a substantial amount of displacement or travel to the vane 21 without car-sing or allowing av drop in pressure before the Y 3V necessary amount of angular movement of the cam formation 26 has occurred to ensure positive action of the switch means 27.

In practice, with the leverages illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the switch 27 will be positively operated Vwith something less than one-half of the full possible displacement of the vane 21, so that relatively Vlight puffs of breath will achieve positive actuation of the switch means 27. To this end the vane and lever means are of lightweight `construction and the cam formation 26 and spring tensions of the switch means 27 are kept at low value toV minimize the loading resistance on the vane'and lever system.

Moreover, the counterweight 25 is'of a mass calculated to minimize the moment of inertia of the Yvane system for maximum sensitivity to moderate air pulses such as would result from anexpulsion of air from the mouth with only moderate force.

Since the vane system is dynamically balanced, the spring blades of switch 27 need exert only a slight effort to urge'the vane into normal position regardless of the position of the control unit, which may be disposed at an angle owing to the exibility of supporting member 16.

ln the practical application of the breath sensitive control device, as illustrated diagramatically in Fig. 5, the individual breath-control units are respectively connected to control the audio frequency and radio frequency sections of a television receiver.

Contacts 27A, 27AX of the two units are connected to one side of a suitable power source (for example the 24-volt tap on a power transformer 30 in the set) via conductor 31.

Contact 27B on the audio breath-control unit is connected via conductor 33 to one terminal of a stepping relay coil 35, the remaining coil terminal connecting at juncture 34 with the power conductor 32.

Thus, breath-displacement of vane 21 closes contacts 27A, 27B, to energize relay coil 35, thereby attracting armature 36 to step the ratchet wheel 37 one tooth, which in turn steps the detent wheel 37X one tooth to open or close the audio control switch contacts 38, 38A, depending upon whether a deep or shallow notch in the detent wheel is turned into position, the action being alternate in this respect, so that with one step contacts 38, 38A are opened, and in the following step will be closed.

Audio relay contacts 38, 38A are in series via conductors 40, 41, with the voice output circuit and voiceV coil 42 of the loud speaker for the television set, so that opening of contacts 38, 38A renders the speaker inoperative.

The second or channel-selecting breath-sensitive control unit has its switch contact 27AX connected to power conductor 31, while the companion contact 27BX connects via conductor 44 to one terminal of the coil 45 of a channel-selector relay, the armature 46 of which actuates contacts 48, 48A.

Enerfgization of relay coil 45 closes contacts 48, 48A to apply power to a selector motor 50 from transformer juncture 31A via relay conductor 53, contacts .478, 48A,V

conductor 54, juncture 55, conductor 56, to one side of said motor, and juncture 32A with power conductor 32, and conductor 57 to the remaining terminal of motor 50 to start the latter.

Since breath switch contacts 27AX, 27BX are closed very briefly, the channel selector relay is pulsed quickly and its contacts 48, 48A, are closed and opened abruptly, and the selector motor 50 is merely started long enough to permit the contacts S, 59 on a holding switch means to close owing to initial displacement of a detent disc 60 (driven by motor 50), which in practice is attached to a rotatable channel tuning unit 61 of known construction and commonly employed in channel tuning circuits;

Holding contacts 58, 59, are connected in parallel with 4 relay conductors 53, 54, and will remain closed to keep the selector motor running until the tuning drum 61 rotates to the next `channel-selecting position, at which time the detent disc 60 will present the next detent notch to the holding switch into which the contact roller 53A will drop and open contacts 58, 59, thereby stopping the motor 50, the tuner and associated parts being driven through a built-in clutch and reduction gear unit 50A, making abrupt stops possible.

lf it is desired to skip a certain picture channel, or if there should be a dead channel adjoining another in the successive angular positions of tuner drum 61, and hence to the corresponding detent notch on the disc 64B, then a carry-over switch 63 will be closed by an appropriately positioned. carry-over peg or screw 66 on a monitor disc 67 rotatable on the shaft 50A for motor 50, which shaft is common to the detent disc 60 and tuner drum 61, and has a series of circumferentially arranged plug or screw holes corresponding in angular position to the detent channel notches in disc 60 and the appertaining channel-selecting positions of the tuner drum 61. By inserting a carryover screw 66 in the appropriate hole in disc 67 corresponding to that angular position of the tuner drum 61 which it is desired to pass, the screw 66 will engage the switch blade 64 and move it into circuit-closing engagement with contact 65, and thereby shunt the circuit through contacts 58, 59A (which would be opening at this time), so that motor 50 will continue to run until the next detent notch in disc 60 is reached and the motor 50 is stopped, the screw or plug pin 66 meanwhile having turned away from the switch 63 to open the contacts 64, 65 and their shunting action across holding-switch contacts 58, 59 through junctures 31B and 55, so that motor Sil continues to run again under control of the holding contacts 58, 59 until the next channel detent is reached for automatic stopping.

There are as many positions or screw holes 66X on the carry-over monitor disc 67 as there are channel positions for the tuning drum 61, so that any desired channel or channels can be passed or skipped by setting the plug or screw in the proper hole.

Thus, the disclosure affords in the illustrative embodiment a radio receiving apparatus in the form of a television receiver, with means operated by breath pulses for actuating a motor-driven, step-by-step station or channel selector which stops automatically on each of a sequential series of desired tuning or selecting positions once it is started by the breath-control means; together with a loud-speaker system and a muting or on-and-ofrr control also actuated by breath-pulse means; the channel-selecting mechanism, as well as the breath-sensitive means itself, providing detailed features of novelty specically described herein, but susceptible of modification within the contemplation of the annexed claims.

We claim: Y Y Y l. Breath-controlled radio apparatus comprising the combination, with a receiver having a rotatable stationselecting device, of electric motor means for rotating said device, a normally open circuit for starting said motor means; a switch and breath-operated means for closing the same to close said motor starting circuit; a holding switch closed by detent means rotated in step with said selecting device to hold said motor circuit 'closed for a predetermined angular displacement from each stationselecting position suicient to change from one station to another responsive to each said displacement, and thereupon open said motor circuit, whereby each'actuation of said breath-operated switch-closing means will effect a station'changing operation of said station-selecting device. Y

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim l and further including carry-over switch means and comprising a'second,V

normally open holding switch connected in parallel with said holding switch to shunt the latter,'and a rotatable carry-over member turning in step with said station-selecting device and including carry-over switch-operating means positionable at selected angular positions relative to the angular displacements of said station-selecting device, to correspond to desired stations selectable by the latter, said carry-over switch-operating means being turned into engagement to close said carry-over switch for shunting purposes as aforesaid to continue the operation of said motor means to move the selecting device beyond a selecting position at which it would normally stop in the absence of the shunting action of said carryover switch.

3. A breath-sensitive switch comprising a body having an elongated vane passage therein with an air entrance and exit opening respectively at opposite ends thereof; a vane carried at the end of a long lever means pivoted on said body to oscillate the vane in said passage between said entrance and eXit openings; a switch mounted on said body; said lever means being moved by said vane and having a short lever-arm portion which is cooperable with said switch to actuate the latter responsive to a movement of predetermined minimum magnitude of said vane from a normal position of rest adjacent said entrance opening toward said exit opening; and means yieldingly acting upon said vane for urging the same into said normal position, said vane having a low moment of inertia to be -displaced by a slight puff of air directed at it in the general line of its permitted movement away from said normal position, and the relative lengths of said long lever means and short lever-arm portion being such that the minimum displacement of said vane which will actuate said switch is large compared with the minimum displacement of said short lever arm which is effective to actuate the switch and the vane moves a substantial distance along said passage without occurrence of any substantial drop in air pressure therein.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said vane is provided with a counterbalancing mass minimizing the inertial moment thereof; and said yieldable urging means includes a leaf-spring operating member for said switch; and said short lever arm includes a cam co-acting with said leaf-spring to move and be moved by the latter for the purpose set forth.

5. A breath-sensitive control device comprising a body, a long lever pivotcd on said body, a vane attached to said lever near an end thereof remote from its pivotal axis, a closely circumambient cavity formed in said body to extend along a predetermined length of the arc of travel of the vane in oscillatory motions of said lever,` an entrance orifice at one end of said cavity opposite one terminal position of said arc of travel of said vane, a discharge orifice in the cavity at the opposite terminus of said arc of vane travel; a counterweight attached to said lever and acting to pivot the lever and position said vane normally adjacent said entrance orifice in certain positions of the body; a cam formation on said lever and switch means carried on said body and actuated by said cam formation responsive to predetermined movement of the latter by said lever; said vane, lever, and counterweight having a moment of inertia of suiciently low magnitude to render the vane sensitive to slight puffs of air directed against it and comparable to a moderate puff of breath, and to be displaced by the latter for a substantial portion of said arc of travel where the puff of air is a predetermined minimum.

6. In a breath-operated control device, a vane at the end of a long lever constructed with a low moment of inertia; a pressure chamber for the vane having an entrance and an exit spaced apart along the arc of travel of the vane and marking the opposite limits, at least, of the travel of the vane, the pivotal axis of the vane being wholly outside of said chamber; means yieldingly urging the lever to position said vane close to said chamber entrance; said pressure chamber confining said vane for substantial angular displacement by a substantial puff of CII 6 breath directed into said entrance without substantial loss of driving pressure in the chamber as the vane approaches the exit as a limit; said lever being adapted to actuate a control instrumentally.

7. A rotary tuner; a motor device to rotate the tuner; a detent disc rotatable in step with the tuner and having detent formations each corresponding to one of the tuning positions of the tuner; a motor stop-switch actuated to open-circuit condition by each of said detent formations at the appertaining tuning positions and closed by each detent formation for the duration of the angular travel of the tuner between any two successive tuning positions; a carry-over member rotated in step with said tuner and having carry-over positioning means at each angular position thereon which correspond to one of each of said tuning positions; said positioning means being adapted to receive an operating member for a carry-over switch; a carry-over switch positioned to be operatively engaged and actuated by any said operating member located at any of said positioning means; and an operating circuit for said motor means including a normally open starting switch having connected in shunt therewith both said detent switch and said carry-over switch.

8. In a rotary tuner device for remote control, rotary detent and carry-over disc means driven in step with the tuner; a motor for driving the tuner and disc means as aforesaid; an operating circuit including a normally open momentarily closeable starting switch; a detent switch actuated by said detent disc means and connected in shunt with said starting switch means to hold the motor means energized after each starting thereof for the duration of travel between any of a plurality of successive detent positions each corresponding to a certain tuning position of the tuner; and means for continuing the energization of the motor means after starting for operation to drive the tuner past one or more detent positions; said lastmentioned means including a carry-over switch actuated by any of one or more selectively positioned carry-over elements on said carry-over disc, said carry-over switch being connected in shunt with said detent switch.

9. n a remote control device for radio frequency tuning apparatus; a rotatable tuning device having different frequency-tuning positions at certain angular displacements in the rotary travel thereof; a motor connected for energization to rotate the tuning device; detent means cooperable with said tuning device to be rotated in step therewith and having a detent part corresponding to each said tuning position; a detent switch connected in circuit with a source of energizing power with said motor and actuated to open-circuit condition at each said tuning position by the appertaining detent part; a rotatable carryover member cooperable with said tuning device to rotate in step therewith; a normally-open carry-over switch conacted in shunt with said detent switch; and at least one actuating member disposed at a particular angular position on said carry-over member, which corresponds to one of said timing positions, and said actuating member being situated in its angular travel to operatively cooperate with said carry-over switch and actuate the latter at said particular angular position to cause energization of the motor notwithstanding an open condition of said detent switch at said angular position; together with starting switch means connected in said motor-energizing circuit to shunt the detent switch momentarily and start the motor.

l0. in a radio tuning apparatus for remote control, in cooperative combination: an electric motor; a rotatable station-selecting device operable to select different stations at different angular positions thereof; means drivingly connecting said motor with said device to rotate the ame successively from said angular selecting position to another thereof in a cycle; a motor circuit for energizing said motor; a starting switch in said circuit momentarily operable to start the motor; a detent member driven cooperably with said selecting device to rotate in step with the latter; carry-over control means including a carry-over circuit and carry-over switch means connected with said motor circuit and operably controlled by said detent member to maintain said motor in operation following starting thereof by said starting switch to maintain the started operation of the motor long enough to drive the selecting device to the next succeeding angular selecting position and then stop the motor automatically; said carry-over control means further including means rotating in synchrony with said detent member and having receiving means positioned in correspondence with each of said angular selecting positions for each receiving a selectively applicable and removable carry-over member; said carryover switch means having connections with said carry-over circuit operably controlled by any said carry-over member to prevent automatic stopping of the motor by the detent member as aforesaid so that the started motor will continue in operation long enough to move the selecting deviceat least to the next succeeding angular selecting position, and can therefore be made to skip desired stopping positions in accordance with the presence or absence of said carry-over members at any particular position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent YUNITED STATES PATENTS 1,372,500 Gamin@ Mar. 22, 1921 2,259,973 Firehammer Oct. 21, 1941 2,293,574 Teach et al Aug. 18, 1942 2,403,938 Macan July 16, 1946 ,2,474,843l Helsing July 5, 1949 2,618,770 Schwarz Nov. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 703,847 Germany Mar.V 18, 1941 

